County passes SOS primary election audit

BONNERS FERRY — A June 2 state audit of the primary election, which included Boundary County, found no errors, according to Idaho Secretary of State officials.

The county and four of its voting precincts were selected for the audit, which was drawn by random by the Board of Canvassers in the Idaho State Capitol Building. 

Under Idaho Statute, the Secretary of State is required to conduct a post-election audit to ensure the accuracy of election tabulation for even-year primary and general elections. 

The ballots were delivered by the Boundary County Sheriff’s Office to the SOS team around 9:30 a.m. By 1:10 p.m. the audit was completed and officials found no errors.

At the time of voting, ballots were passed through the DS-200 vote tabulator at all polling locations, however, the audit was done by hand, Boundary County Clerk Glenda Poston said. There were 237 people who registered to vote for the May 21 election, which could have been for a host of reasons, such as name changes, voters moving into the county from town or moving to Boundary County, or voters just turning 18. 

Overall, there was a 49% voter turnout and 3,959 ballots cast.

A Secretary of State audit team visited the selected counties and conducted a hand count of the primary election ballots to compare with the canvass election results. Also selected were Bannock County, May 31 audit; Canyon County, May 31 audit; Cassia County, May 30 audit; Madison County, May 30 audit; Payette County, May 29 audit; and Valley County, June 3 audit. 

"This post-election audit is one of many ways Idaho maintains transparency and trust in our election process," said Secretary Phil McGrane. "By ensuring the accuracy of our election results, we reinforce the integrity of our election system so Idahoans can be confident that every vote counts."

In 2022, Bonner County was selected for the audit after the November general election. As with Boundary County, no errors were found. 

McGrane, Controller Brandon Woolf, and Treasurer Julie Ellsworth, meeting as the Idaho Board of Canvassers, canvassed the primary election June 4-6 in Idaho Falls. The board also heard a report of the recent post-election audits conducted in eight randomly selected counties following the election.

The meeting was held at the Idaho Association of Commissioners and Clerks Annual Conference in Idaho Falls. Election data from the canvass shows 281,777 Idahoans voted in the primary election, with a final turnout of 27.9% of registered voters. Voter turnout data by county is available on VoteIdaho.gov. Election results, including the canvass reports, can be found on the Election Results page of VoteIdaho.gov.

McGrane expressed his gratitude and confidence in the integrity of Idaho's election process.

“Canvassing the official results is the culmination of months of hard work by election officials and county clerks across the state,” he said. “I appreciate Treasurer Ellsworth and Controller Woolf for traveling to Idaho Falls to share this crucial part of the process with the clerks and public. It’s always good when we can do official state business outside of Boise. The smooth primary election and success of the subsequent election audits are a testament to the dedication and excellence demonstrated by Idaho Clerks and election teams. Idahoans should be proud of the elections system we have in our state.”

    Boundary County Clerk and elections staff with the Idaho SOS team during the June 2 audit.